


Karrot Kings

by patentpending



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternative Perspective, Confused Thomas Sanders, Fluff, M/M, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:33:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26938951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patentpending/pseuds/patentpending
Summary: Nico can’t help but notice the cute guy wandering around the food court.
Relationships: Nico Flores/Thomas Sanders, Thomas Sanders/Nico Flores
Comments: 74
Kudos: 576





	Karrot Kings

**Author's Note:**

> I'm here to declare myself captain of the Karrot Kings ship
> 
> tw for food

The guy with the flowers on his shirt has been wandering around, seemingly aimlessly, for about five minutes now.

He’s cute – all big eyes and soft hair and so aggressively Nico’s type that Nico can practically _see_ the knowing look his abuelita would shoot him if she caught sight of the other man across the food court.

Nico shakes his head, rubbing at the scruff of his beard, and tries to refocus on his computer screen, staring at the the blinking cursor as if that can force the words onto the page. He needs to have the lyrics in by Thursday if he’s going to lay out the demo tracks within the month.

He dares a look up, but the flower-shirted man seems to be deeply engrossed in inspecting the plastic plants. Nico can’t help a small huff of laughter, a smile curling his lips. Maybe flower is into botany.

He glances at the other man’s bag, but – damn it, no pins. Come on, how else are gays supposed to sense each other in the wild? Aggressive eye contact? 

It’d be a shame if the other didn’t swing Nico’s way – he’s pretty, even if he does seem to be aggressively muttering to himself.

If Nico fluffs up his backpack so the pride pin is a bit more prominent, well. That’s no one’s business but his own.

He manages to bury himself in his work for a while, aimlessly typing out lyrics in a mix of English and Spanish, idly wondering if rhyming bellaco with beso was too obvious, when he hears a metal clanging and the unmistakeable sound of a mess some poor janitor will have to clean up later.

Some unruly souls has sent the trash can flying, half-eaten meals sticking out of styrofoam containers that _cannot_ be ethical to use now scattered everywhere. It was like the can couldn’t take any more, like everything no one wanted to pay attention to had piled up until they all had no option to see everything in its raw, ugly truth.

Huh.

Nico opened a new document. That wasn’t half bad.

He’s written out a verse and the scratchy beginnings of a chorus by the time he glances up again and realizes with a start Flower is gone, but his food is still there. A small thrill of excitement shoots through him.

Well, returning a cute guy’s lunch is as good a reason as any to strike up a conversation, isn’t it?

Nico shoves his laptop into his pin-encrusted bag and snatches up the grease-stained _Karrot Kings_ bag.

Now, if he were a pretty boy with a possible penchant for botany and a habit of talking to himself, where would he be?

He pokes through the food court to no avail, dodging a long-haired man who mutters about ‘stupid actors’ and ‘stupid running lines in the mirror’, and is just about to start making his rounds through the nearby shops when he spots him, exiting the bathroom.

Flower looks a little tired, for some reason. A little sad.

“Hey, hey!”

Nico puts on a burst of speed, skidding to a stop before the other man and sighing – a bit of excursion, a bit of relief, a lot of excitement.

“There you are!” Nico rocks forward on his heels and hopes any heat to his face can be excused by the run. “I- I was afraid you’d left.”

Flower just looks at him, and Nico flashes a sheepish short of smile, holding the bag up. “You’d almost forgot your food.”

Flower doesn’t say anything, and Nico finds himself rambling on, his mouth always two steps ahead of his brain. “I noticed you earlier, actually! You were talking to either a plant or yourself I think.”

Up close, he can see the edge of Flower’s shoes, and the rainbow stripes sharpeed on.

“Rainbows, huh?” Nico lets a smirk spread across his face, voice dropping. “You mind kinda telling me about that?”

The other man doesn’t say anything, staring blankly, and Nico drops the smirk, pushing down his disappointment as he holds the bag out. “That’s okay, it’s probably a bit too nosy of me to ask anyway.”

Flower startles to life, taking the bag. “Uh yeah! Super nosy. What’s wrong with you, man?”

Nico would be more stung if not for Flower sounding more awkward than Nico has ever felt.

“Eh, yeah.” Nico rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry about that.” He turns, flashing a wave over his shoulder. “Have a good night.”

He lets his mouth fall into something sadder than a frown as he walks away. _Well,_ he thinks to himself with a bitter laugh. _At least he got his food._

He’s almost rounded the corner when he hears stumbling, like someone’s been shoved, and a newly-familiar voice calls “hey!”

Nico turns to find a man he soon knows is named Thomas smiling, awkwardly, and holding out a bag.

When Thomas reveals why he had been wandering around so aimlessly, Nico can’t help his laugh – or his smile.

They sit, and eat carrots together, and they talk. About writing, and music, and their families, and what they do, and where they’re from.

Underneath the table, Thomas’ foot accidentally knocks against his own, but before he can do anything more than freeze and turn red, Nico smiles, and knocks right back.

Nico doesn’t actually like carrots, but he eats them all slowly – just for an excuse to let this last a moment longer.

They both leave with one more phone number, safely stored away.

When Nico gets home, he sees Thomas has sent a tweet out – _Had a good day today, hehe_ 💘

And Nico, smiling, taps out a little heart of his own.

**Author's Note:**

> anyway stan Nico Flores and reblog [here](https://impatentpending.tumblr.com/post/631630703558361088/karrot-kings)


End file.
